1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to portable shelters and particularly to portable shelters made of panels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable shelters and buildings have been used since the beginning of human history. One of the oldest is the tent. Tents, however, have many problems. They are not comfortable due to the wind and dust entering the tents. Tents are also prone to damage from animals such as bears and from theft from passers-by. Tents also tend to suffer from condensation problems with water forming on the inside of the tent. Tents are not designed for heavy snow loads and consequently must be struck and packed away each winter. Finally, tents are prone to leaking in rain.
Over the years people have developed other types of portable shelters that use hard sided-walls. Some of these shelters can be used as permanent remote camps. Some examples of these shelters are found in the following U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 2,407,252 teaches a prefabricated building that uses arch type frame members. However, the construction and assembly is complex and is not designed for simple, fast erection in remote areas. U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,477 is a demountable building that uses arched members to support a fabric cover. Although this shelter has a frame structure, the fabric walls make it a little better than a tent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,904 teaches another frame structure that is covered with a stressed membrane cover. The shelter uses a large number of metal arch type members that are erected and covered with fabric. This structure, again, is a supported tent. Moreover, the design makes it complex to assemble, requiring time and workers. This structure is not something ideal for remote sites. U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,328 teaches a large cabin type structure that has arch type framing. This structure however is not really designed for portability or remote locations. U.S. Patent Application No. US 2002/0108646 teaches a compact-all weather shelter. Although the unit is portable, it has a complex frame, is covered by fabric walls and has end gables that are fitted with doors. Such a system is large and not designed as a one or two person system. U.S. Patent Application No. US2009/0217617 teaches a shelter using panel type wall construction. Again, although portable, this shelter uses a complex frame structure that requires delivery in multiple loads and a crew of workers to assemble.
Although there are many examples of portable shelters, most of them either use fabric covers or have complex frame structures that require large crews to assemble. Many are portable, but require large trucks to carry the components-making installation in remote, off road locations almost impossible. Thus, a shelter that can be easily transported in one load by a helicopter is needed. This shelter must be assembled quickly, by no more than two people. Finally, the shelter must have integrity to withstand harsh winter conditions and must be designed for permanent occupation.